St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-09-15

SIX or eight years ago With their broth
ers to find new home in this land OF
"corn and wine." They have two and
one-half acres of ground in high state
of cultivation set with oranges, lemons,
peaches, pears, apples, figs. grapes,
nectarines and guavas for fruits, and
they all grow to perfection even the
apples are as nice as any Michigan APP
Piles ever saw but they do not keep
as long of course. Since our arrival we
have given the fruit special attention,
as you might guess, for we never saw
such fruit. Olives and ounces will
fruit in two years from cuttings. They
will grow the same as willow will at
home, you have simply to cut off a
twig and stick it into the ground.
Some of the ounces weigh 81 to 30
ounces each, and the peaches, necta-
rines, grapes, ETC., are delicious. There
are great many tenacre farms, or
ranches as they call them here, where
all semi-tropical fruits are grown.
Some that have visited raise all the
fruits without irrigation seemingly
with as good results as do others with
irrigation.
This city (D of about 1000 people, is
four miles from San Diego, connected
by steam cars. This is the terminus of
the road at present, but work has al
ready begun to extend it down into
Mexico. A great scheme of the CAPT.
talists who have secured eighteen mill
ion acres of land from the Mexican
government, and are now booming it
for settlement. There is also a steam
motor road running seven trains each
way daily, fare five cents, so that prac-
tically it is one town.
San Diego is making rapid and also
stable growth, and has now about 49,
900 inhabitants. Scores of good brick
blocks and single stores are going up
and wooden dwelling houses by the
hundred. Rents are high and almost
shes load of lumber being drawn onto
a vacant lot he follows it and tries to
rent the house when completed. Work
men are in great demand, day laborers
50, carpenters So to 81, and masons
81 to SIS day. The great hotel on
Coronado beach is being pushed, as they
want to open about November first. 1t
is one of the largest hotels on this
coast, having over 700 rooms, an opera
house under the same roof, besides the
customary dancing hall, etc. No mon
ey is spared to make it the best winter
resort. The grounds are set with a
great variety of semi-trOpical trees,
shrubs, flowers, etc. The Coronado
Beach Co., are expanding over a mill
ion dollars on the property, but they
will more than get their money back
in the sale of lots, which sell now at
$500 to $4,000 per lot, 25 x 14O feet.
The San Diego Land and Town Co.,
have thousands of acres about National
City, and have laid out 5000 acres in
tive-acre lots, which they sell at $500
per acre, conditioned that the purchas-
or shall erect house to cost not less
than $4,000. This is intended for resi- |
dences. They will have water on the
tract within 60 days, or as soon as the
rain falls. They have the dam nearly
completed, with capacity as large as
the one that supplies San Francisco,
with Sc inch main pipe now laid onto
the tract, and the side lines are being
laid. These water works alone cost
over a million dollars, so you see they
are preparing for great influx of set
tiers on this bay. At San Diego they
are expanding three or four times as
much for water which they are bring
ing, from a source 80 miles from the
city. They expect to have it complet-
ed next March. These great schemes
are being pushed with eastern capital.
We have enjoyed our brief stay thus
far much. The weather is delightful,
one day like another, week in and week
out, but when the rains come it will be
still more beautiful. The fact is the
climate is one of the chief products for
sale, for one buying lots of land 25 by
140 feet, located three or four miles
from town and covered with sage bush,
paying 500 to $500 for the same, will
quite naturally conclude that he is pay
ing 25 per cent. for real estate and rs
per cent. for climate.
1t is astonishing how many are in
vesting. The sales and transfers are
large every day and all are expecting
4 very great influx of capitalists here
this winter. One evidence of phenome-
nal growth is found in the fact that the
the government find it difficult to furn-
ish proper postal facilities for the sud-
den influx of population. Two months
ago 500 boxes were added to the Office
and now there are over 800 waiting a
chance to get one. The building is too
small to accommodate all these people,
and when go for my mail l am oblig-
I'd to take my place in line on the side
walk and it requires 10 to 20 minutes
20 get to the delivery window for L to
y L.